A Star in the Making
by ED-boi
Summary: The Mushroom Kingdom has prevailed against its foes, both in past and present, with great faith in the future. But now, a threat that defies worldly power has begun- and soon, the Mushroom Kingdom may be a fairy tale that was never written...
1. The Darkest of Lights

It was rare for Toads to wander outside the confines of Toad Town in the darkest of nights. Almost unheard of, really- generations of ghost stories passed down to the youngest of Toads, all echoes of the originals yet still equally dismal in tone, spooked away any notions of venturing out into the gloom.

At least, it generally did. Regrettably for Mucho, however, he was not so easily fazed. In fact, trotting out into the night, Boos and Underhands were the last things on his mind. Even if they did exist, why should they care for a fun guy like him, when a much less common sight was grazing the skies? For tonight, a cascade of motley stars were dancing across the clear black expanse, with a liveliness only ever seen once every hundred years, only ever appreciated by so very few. Even among his star-fanatic friends, even within the combined knowledge of Peach's Castle's dwellers, the event was unknown, not even held among the most obscure myths and tales kept alive by them. Mucho, however, was the bearer of a long, long family secret. His great grandad, and his great grandad, and another great grandad before him...

Mucho's father, Gruuch, had almost broken down as he unleashed the knowledge onto him. "Ah, if only I could go, my son," sighed Gruuch at the time, "but I know my calling. I've a role to hold. The princess needs her guards at hand, and I'd never let myself go if she was kidnapped and my allies were imperilled whilst I sit stargazing. No, son, I'm not that lucky. Us born with halfway to go till the event never have been." His eyes shone then, and Mucho reflected that perhaps not even the falling stars would sparkle so bright. "This, my son, is your gift. Enjoy it for me, kiddo. Enjoy it for me."

And, as Mucho sat on his own, with only old Mushroom Kingdom relics for company, he didn't have any difficulty keeping his father's wishes. The night was beautiful. Beyond anything that tramped around in the kingdom below, even putting Peach's castle to shame.

The wonder had been observed now for many generations back; yet, still little was understood about it. Yes, an order- an impossible order- for the star fall had gradually been recorded over time, which the stars seemingly obeyed on every return. But that was it. Nobody knew why they kept returning. Nobody knew what the patterns had meant.

And nobody could ever guess at why, only from these ruins, could these celestial bodies be seen.

Then again, perhaps it was best this way- who wants to know everything? Mucho's family had always contented themselves, that even if they didn't comprehend, as least they were aware. At least they could see them, as lustrous blue bodies descended, followed by- what was it again? Mucho shifted away from his antiquated telescope, checking his ancestor's notes. Ah! Green. Yes, green balls of light, illuminating their sky for their brief seven seconds, and then purple and-

Except they didn't. Mucho frowned. This isn't right. From what he could read, at this point, purple stars should be sinking gently down and disappearing inexplicably into the forests below.

Not yellow. Not at this speed. They weren't, according to the ancestors, due for another few minutes yet. Mucho pondered for a second, then dismissed his curiosity. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity; not some accurate study of a scientific phenomenon. His ancestors would have been too busy sitting, gawking, to note every detail exactly as seen. And he should be doing the same, not scrutinising archaic recordings from the past.

Peering again through his telescope, Mucho watched as the yellow stars passed, and onto the violet-

White. Mucho's elders must have been really awestruck. Afterwards, came orange-

Black. Now Mucho was really disturbed. There was no mention of any black shooting stars anywhere in his notes. In fact, there wasn't any mention of black stars among his social circles either. Not anywhere in the Kingdom. He'd been told about Ztars, of course- and had one foisted upon him by a notorious bully during his school days- but, somehow, Mucho could sense these were a far graver issue.

The black stars were still tumbling. How did his family neglect to mention this, of all things? His dilated right eye was almost glued to the looking glass, but he was afraid to believe what it revealed. He couldn't describe what it was about them that put his nerves on end; but other people wouldn't have been clueless anyway. The dread they emanated was too potent to miss.

And then Mucho's heart stopped. He stepped, fearfully, away from his telescope and rubbed his eyes, pinched his cheeks in a painful grip, then slowly moved back to his equipment.

It had stopped. The stars. The stars had halted, inexplicably, right in their tracks, like a video being paused on a click. Even their long stretching trails remained where they were, neither expanding or fading. As if time had just ceased.

At this point, Mucho knew he should run. Run and spread the news. Darn centuries of tradition; this sort of happening just didn't... happen. And, if it was, then something very serious was going on. He turned on his heels, pushed down his spotted cap and rushed back to Toad Town, back to comfort and familiarity.

He couldn't. Mucho's legs stayed on the spot, and even the blood in his legs felt like they had ended their journey. He was petrified now. This must be some sort of nightmare... Mucho tried again to pinch his flesh- maybe I didn't try hard enough? he hoped- but even his arms and littlest fingers were resolutely stuck mid-stride. The gaze of his frantic eyes dashed to the now useless limbs. Or, they would have done- but, afraid and alone in an outre moment, not even his eyes would help him now.

The black stars regained their motion again, but not haphazardly towards the earth. They were going in a definite direction. Towards Mucho.

Mucho, facing towards the tall forest before him, never saw this terror soaring towards him. His mouth hung steadfast in a noiseless scream as the distance between them diminished.

Mucho wouldn't be stargazing again anytime soon.

* * *

**Hello! So... {awkward conversationalist} this is practically my first published attempt at fiction making (I procrastinate. So many trashed ideas...). Don't think this is to ask you to be gentle on me- actually, I would prefer if you beat the life and soul out of this part (if it has any at all!) and give some constructive criticism! I know for fact that I'm lacking in something, and if you could highlight my problems, that would rreally help. Anyhow, I plan to make this a tale decent in length, and it won't all be creepy going-ons like here, so don't let the tone put you off just yet!**


	2. Time for a Change

Seven o' clock. An alarm ringed its modest call, and Mario's eyes bolted open. His red bedsheets were flung across the room as the plumber shook with energy. He arched his plump body upwards, and, with a triumphant cry, leapt out of bed and punched the air.

Then, landing on the wooden floor below, froze. He sighed.

Luigi- his younger, taller twin brother- walked into the room in his typical green and blue dungarees, a plate of fried toast and mushrooms in his gloved hands. He watched as Mario slumped where he stood, and listlessly placed his breakfast on the corner desk.

"Really now, bro, I don't get why you bother still getting up at this hour," Luigi muttered. "Nothing's stirring at all these days aside from Mushroom Tea- just stand down for once, eh, bro?"

Mario knew it was true, but years of adventuring and princess-saving didn't prepare oneself for such eras coming about. It had been about a month now since Mario had last pushed his comfort zones- rescuing his friend Pauline from an overexcited D.K. in some underground train systems, or something; it felt too long ago now to remember- and his days were now spent pottering around the house. An age of prosperity- except it wasn't. There was no invigorating peace or joy sweeping the Kingdom; it was just _dull._

Bowser- Mario's persistent Koopa foe, continually running invasions on the Kingdom- seemed to have dried up his deposit of ideas. Wario was too busy devising some new mini games- "I'll be rich!" he had said, not for the first time- and all the kart races, parties, Olympic events and even basketball tournaments had long passed. There were news of a large fighting tournament and another Grand Prix coming later in the year, but they were _later in the year_. How was a plumber like him expected to keep himself busy when he was living in a static society?

Mario grabbed his plate and cutlery, and mechanically began to eat. He didn't really register the taste of freshly picked shrooms or smell of warm toast, even though Luigi had invested great effort into making it as special as possible to raise his brother's spirits.

After a few moments realising that his brother's mood would stay remarkably stubborn, Luigi walked out of the small bedroom, now sharing in Mario's gloom. He couldn't think of much else he could do to help- much as Mario opposed Bowser's repugnant plots, they always, at least, gave him an opportunity to act. Like a doctor- they may be horrified and enraged by the diseases they witness, but without these to tackle, what sort of direction could they really be taking?

...now that's a thought, decided Luigi. Mario took up work as a doctor several times before, hadn't he? Maybe a return would get him up and running- who knows, perhaps this whole silence was actually because everyone was too ill to get around to anything? 'Thinking about it,' Luigi considered, 'perhaps even I could have a go at it...' He grabbed around in the main room's cupboard, and, eventually, found an old medical book Professor E. Gadd had passed onto him long ago. Sitting down by the central table, flipping open the dusty volume, an optimistic smile graced Luigi's lips. _Yes- this could this work out quite nicely indeed..._

* * *

Toadsworth could tell something was dreadfully wrong- he hadn't been tired out for absolutely ages. Life as the Princess's steward was a whirlwind of worries- stressing over her risky exploits, panicking over her prolonged absences, fearing her kidnappers were subjecting her to unspeakable injustices... and don't get him started on the amount of walking it all involved. Oh, how his back ached, all the walking back and forth after her in her excited stages...

Yet, now that these fears have dissipated alongside the maelstroms of the Kingdom, Toadsworth was finding that strolling around was becoming the most pleasurable pastimes of his days. With his duties no longer as pressing or numerous, his schedule now allowed for much more opportunity to see the Kingdom of which he fretted for so much.

It felt like stepping around in a new world; so much had the Castle's activities kept him from the land outside. But now, he was free! Free to smell the flowers in the fields, feel the warmth of the unfiltered sun on his weary skin, to dance and-

Toadsworth's bones cracked with an audible crunch, and he arched his back painfully. Okay... perhaps he hadn't regained enough vigour to dance, but he still felt younger than his body could recall.

He envied two Toad children playing in the field nearby, frolicking after each other in circles again and again. They seemed fairly young- about 8 or so, Toadsworth guessed- and were as carefree as you would expect children to be.

Odd, though. Toadsworth looked closer at the two, and recognised their clothing- raggy red and orange cloths, with patches of white circles of wool dotted around them, symbolic of the types of mushrooms found in the wild. Now, Toadsworth was hardly the expert of what was and wasn't à la mode, but, unless he was very much mistaken, this range of clothing had faded out of style and production years ago, long before he had even been born. The two young Toads, though, were running around in them as if they weren't committing any fashion crime whatsoever.

Probably just playacting, Toadsworth guessed. Such a joy, to see the younger generation paying tribute to their past. _Ah, the past..._

Toadsworth shook himself out of his nostalgia, and gasped with shock upon looking at his trusty wristwatch. _Ten minutes_ he'd just spent lost in his memories! He despaired at his sentimentality- whatever happened to his focus and his in-the-moment mindset? The watch he wore reflected the Toad that he was- old and battered, and on the way to an unceremonious retirement.

The watch jumped back twenty minutes. Toadsworth frowned. He knew it wasn't much compared to the newest models, but flying back twenty minutes was a tad too flawed for him to tolerate. As if realising his scrutiny, the hands of the watch jumped back to half past seven.

"You stale old thing, you..." murmured Toadsworth to himself. Looking up again, he realised that the two young Toads he had been watching before were still engaged in their simple play, making the same paths without end and without tiring.

_Had they been romping around all this time?_ Toadsworth admired their liveliness, though their originality was somewhat lacking. Why couldn't they muck around like the other modern kids; drawing pictures, playing tag, or even those newfangled gadgets- what were they called again? Those small little 3D handheld things... 'Ah, yes!' Toadsworth remembered. 'Those gadgets, those Ninte-'

He lost his track of thought all of a sudden as the two kids vanished. He gaped. His mind didn't slip away from the present day right then, he was certain. He didn't look away and miss the two going away. They had just _disappeared_. Right into thin air.

Now this was nonsense. Two little Toad boys can't just evaporate just like that. It was a magic trick; it must have been. Rationalising what he was, Toadsworth swung round from stupefaction to crotchetiness. Trick an old Toad like him, now, would they? "Well, I'll show you a trick or two!", Toadsworth shouted into the air. With newly found fervour, he rushed across to where the two had been just a few moments ago- where they must be hiding themselves somehow, Toadsworth reasoned- and threw his arms out, reaching for whatever invisible cloak or modern trickery they had used to obscure themselves.

_There was nothing._ He stepped around adamantly for a few moments, knowing that, in a second or two, he'll feel his fingers collide with soft, squishy flesh, and the kids would get a good what for or two.

Minutes passed. Nothing.

At this point, Toadsworth slowed to a halt, realising that his complaints would not be expelled anytime soon. He hated to admit it, but two tiny Toads had bested an experienced steward of his wisdom. No wonder the Princess was so often stolen away- if he couldn't even handle two meddlesome kids...

And there they were again. Appearing out of the blue just as they had dissipated away, the two had returned, still chasing after each other as if nothing had just happened.

Toadsworth shrieked with surprise, and once again then, but now of sheer vexation. 'As if it weren't crude enough to play tricks on an elder like me,' Toadsworth seethed, 'they have the hauteur to reappear so I would think myself delirious! Well, now, this is most, _most_ inexcusable!'

Wasting no time to confront his tormentors, Toadsworth shot out a tense hand towards the taller of two, resolute that they would be forced to see the errors of their ways.

His hand passed right through the boy. Toadsworth froze. This couldn't be right... As if to prove him wrong, the second Toad followed through, dashing through his arm as if it were a feature only in fiction. But there was no fiction in this; this was truth. A weird truth, a disturbing and unheard of truth, but truth nonetheless.

Toadsworth, timidly, inched his body a few steps forward, dreading what he knew would happen, but testing it nonetheless. Just as he expected, both of the kids ran their cycle through him without any acknowledgement.

He felt a gulp build itself up within his throat. For once, he wished this was Bowser, that it was a problem that made sense. A fear that could be explained.

His watch jumped forward another three hours. And the Mushroom Kingdom's time was counting down.


	3. The Spirit Returns

_There was a barrel tumbling after him. Mario jumped deftly over the wooden hazard, like a pro. But of course, how couldn't he? He'd been doing this sorta things for ages now. Just look at his score- an amateur didn't clock up 616,616 points in one life, now, did they? Nor did they have the prowess to beat 100m 13 times in one sitting... Or was it 14 times? 20?_

_100? It's easy to lose track of time, when you're picking up hammers and climbing ladders. Easy to get a little bored too, Mario guessed. Wait. Mario? Who's Mario? This is Jumpman, not Mario. Jumpman, the jumper. He was born and- he jumped a gap between two red platforms- programmed to jump his days away. He would never- jump- be Mario. This- jump- was his-jump- life. Whether- jump- he liked -jump- it -jump- or- jump- not. Him, Donkey- jump- Kong, fighting to the -jump- death to- jump- win- jump- Pauline's- jump- heart._

_Well, fighting- jump- till- jump- his lives ran- jump- out. When- jump? He looked- jump- up at his- jump- life count._

_Oh. -1 lives- jump. In that- jump- case, he'll just- jump- keep climbing up- jump- forever- jump. Jump._

_Jump._

_Jump jump jump jump jump jump jump jump jump jump jump jump jump jump..._

* * *

'Get me out of here. Let me out of this nightmare. I don't want to...'

"Hey, Mario. Come on, Mario. You'd been perfectly 'up and at them' earlier on, get up a moment! Bro, wake up!"

Mario's moustache twitched restlessly, almost as feverishly as Luigi had ever seen his brother in the tightest of situations. _What on Earth could he be dreaming about to fluster him so?_

_Eventually, with a fear rare for the plumber, Mario's eyes fluttered open one at a time, and glistened with ecstasy as he woke up to re_ality. He stared, confusedly, at his twin brother, then his past lethargy came back to him as he rested his head back on the bed. 'I guess the real world ain't much of an improvement for him', sighed Luigi. At least, not until he has the news spilled to him.

"Listen, bro," Luigi began, "I know you've been holed up in here for the last few days, and yeah, we ain't got much business nowadays- but that doesn't matter, 'cause you know what?"

Mario looked through his twin brother, and -Luigi shivered- very possibly directed malediction upon his soul. Luigi gulped.

"Um, yeah, it, er, doesn't matter, because there's always other things we can do! Remember when you used to do those runs as a doctor, some time ago? Well, I was thinking, perhaps getting back into that work, for now, could be a fun enough distraction for a bit, eh, bro? I mean, I'm sure you're great at treating injuries and looking at X-rays-"

Mario hadn't the heart to explain to Luigi that that wasn't quite his speciality.

"-and who knows, maybe the bodies of the Mushroom Kingdom's people would actually make quite interesting studies. Don't you remember that mess we were in long ago, that time with Bowser and his crazy innards? Or even with Yoob and all the..." He trailed off. Thinking of how disgusting these exploits were- especially getting out of the latter- wasn't exactly getting him into the spirit of probing around in other people.

Mario, however, seemed as if the prospect was a boon for him. The hair on his lip sparked up once more, now with thrill of life, not fear of death. Luigi's face relaxed itself into a content smile. 'Finally,' he thought, 'Mario's actually got a cause he's up to, and, even better, I'm the one to help him out! I'm the hero again; hooray!'

The expression under his cap for a good few moments, but fell as he realised the ideas inside his twin brother's chubby head. The trouble Mario was anticipating, and his rapture in tackling it head-on, almost certainly with Luigi helpless in tow.

Luigi shivered. 'I guess', he thought, 'greeting babies into the world will have to wait for another day...'

* * *

A warping whirr shoved away the silence of Toad Town's streets, as Mario leapt out of the warp pipe with a holler. Luigi followed more discretely, climbing out with trepidation to avoid a scene. He needn't have worried- as his eyes accustomed themselves to the light again, he was surprised to find that the streets were practically vacant. Not a soul was outside at all, aside from him and the shorter plumber.

The two of them reeled around where they stood, seeking out any other signs of activity going on. But there was nothing. Stalls waited, unoccupied, all down the rows of buildings. The Li'l Oink farm was bolted shut and the animals were huddled uneasily in its corner. The Post Office was shut resolutely, which was plausible enough considering how little the residents had to write about; the wooden bar firmly blocking the doorway, less so.

Luigi turned to his older companion. At this point, there should be a look of recognition in his eyes, that subtle yet fierce gaze into eternity, as he combined the ominous hints and inwardly gasped, "Aha!" It was a disconcerting sight, for whenever Luigi had witnessed it, it could only ever mean that a powerful ancient foe was at work, and not one inch of the Kingdom was beyond its hideous claws.

This time, though, the look didn't appear at all. It wasn't fury or fight that Luigi could find in Mario's blue eyes. Only unfamiliarity. And a dash of _fear_.

The duo were used to the Kingdom in peril, and just as much with scraping it out of times like these. But in this case, the circumstances were new- Toad Town was closed in on itself and overwhelmed with suspicion; not in a maelstrom, fleeing from Bowser's onslaught. And it was too quiet on the offensive, too, very unlike Bowser's usual tactics, where you could guarantee that several or more random buildings and Toads would be blasted to the ground.

"H-hey, bro," stammered Luigi, "actually, um, ma-maybe now's not a good time. Everyone's probably, err, sleeping- yeah! All sleeping, I guess; we could, y'know, just... leave things till later, eh?"

Mario's right eyebrow arched.

"I mean... Everything's quiet right now, and everything, and it's only nine o' clock in the morning!, so, yeah, for now, there ain't much we can do, everyone waking up and all..."

"On the contrary, Master Luigi," came a voice from behind them. They spun around in terror, but were relieved- almost physically- when they saw it was Toadsworth, huffing as he hurried towards them.

"On the contrary," Toadsworth repeated, "not everyone's waking up, Masters Mario and Luigi. And there is much, much you can do. I'm afraid some have been awake for a long, long time. And, Masters Mario and Luigi, they have been... _playing_."


	4. Child's Play

"...and that is how I came across _this_... this morning, Masters." Toadsworth coughed, and returned his gaze to the never-ending cycle before him. "What, dare I ask, do you make of this enigma, hmm?"

The bros. were still peering intently at the two 'ghost' children running- just as they had been since Toadsworth had led them there and summarised events to them. These certainly weren't the sort of unspeakable abominations they imagined had terrified everyone off the streets; aside from their old-fashioned clothing and somewhat inexplicable 'ghostliness', they looked and behaved- from what very little they were doing- just like little Toad children.

Mario put out an arm experimentally, and watched as one, then the other, scooted through it without even a passing glance. He withdrew it, and rubbed his chin with it thoughtfully.

"What," repeated Toadsworth, "do you make of it? As I've said, Master Mario, I'm quite out of my depth when it comes to dealing with the undead; the people of Toad Town, even more so. The safest thing for them, I'm afraid, was to spread the news and frighten the socks off them, get them back home and hearty. I dread to inform the Princess; this is most concerning..."

An impatient tutting came from behind the Bros. "Why, you fellers don't pay any attention at all to this old man, do you? These youngsters ain't ghosties; I should know."

Professor E. Gadd continued to prod away at his machinery as he spoke. Ghosts or not, he was immersed in this phenomena- it was unlike anything he had studied before. In honesty, he wasn't entirely hospitable earlier on when Toadsworth burst into his lab, rambling about fears and "The horror!" of his morning. Didn't he see he had the mystery of where Hammer Bros. kept their hammers to solve?

Once he caught notice about mentions of ghosts, however, his curiosity was piqued- and now, though he was certain something else entirely was transpiring, it was a something he had never seen before.

"Well, what are they, then?", asked Luigi.

"That, my boy, I don't know. It's a real mystery though, yessiree, very new indeed." He resumed his modifications again, and Luigi opened his mouth to enquire further, but then the Professor fidgeted, his face tense.

"What's up?", Luigi prompted.

E. Gadd hesitated. "But... I've some sneaky suspicions, make no mistake. These young'uns-" he gestured to the two boys- "-may not be your everyday spectres, but, it's possible that they could be ghosts in a sense..."

Toadsworth swung his cane, aggravated. "Oh, confound it! They are ghosts, except they aren't ghosts, but maybe they are gh- what are you trying to say, sir?! Answer!"

The Professor observed his queer metallic stand, apparently oblivious to this outburst. His gaze was still directed on the portable computer he had perched on top, checking momentarily to see if the back lens was still facing towards the two boys. His eyebrows furrowed in concentration, and he muttered indistinctly under his breath.

"Well?", Toadsworth demanded.

Finally, the Professor looked up, an enquiring eye turned to Toadsworth. He chuckled lightly to himself.

"Now, there, take er' easy, now. And tell me... You may not be a ghost-catching whizz, yep, I know, but tell me... What do you think of ghosts of the past?

* * *

"What, you're_ still_ hungry?"

"That was only a mini snack; t'is but a measly two fry-ups, don't you appreciate that?"

Chef Spore was exasperated- never before, had he served such a ravenous customer.

"Two fry-ups, sir? You mean the _two full breakfasts,_ don't you?"

The tubby Toad leaned his mass painfully towards Chef Spore. "I wouldn't believe the labels they give, trust me. Full? My dog would be unlucky to scrape together less than that for a dessert!"

Chef Spore reminded himself mentally to have a word with the RSPCA later on.

"As you insist... what would you like to order?"

"A cake, my good sir," said the large Toad, licking his lips in glee.

Chef Spore's hand hovered over his pad. "Erm, I'm sorry, I think I misheard slightly. You said you're having..?"

"A cake. Chocolate mousse, of the richest cocoa."

Chef Spore stared at his customer. "A cake. For breakfast, you want _a cake?_"

"What!? Oh, good heavens, no. We haven't gotten near breakfast yet; why, do you wish me to starve?"

The restaurant fell into an awkward silence, no other people there for breakfast today. The chef turned his head back to his kitchen, and forced a smile at the glutton.

"A cake, of course. As you want," he said with a bow, and moved to get back into his kitchen.

"Oh, and I do hope you've enough about for my breakfast too?," the gourmand called out. "You know the madness going on out there, all this malarkey about 'ghosts' mayn't ease off for quite a time, until which, my stomach must be contented here."

_'I'm surprised you're not a ghost at this rate,'_ thought Chef Spore. Nonetheless, motivated by the knowledge that today's pay would be a great deal more than usual, he darted out of the dining room and got to work.

Many minutes later, Chef Spore waddled out of the kitchen, a large brown cake plopped on his silver tray. He saw the gourmand sitting as he had left him, echoing his other customers by rubbing his belly. Except as he was hungry, rather than full. '_Well,'_ Chef Spore thought, '_that won't last long._' He looked at the gargantuan patty he held, and smiled. Now _that_, was a cake.

Slowly, carefully, he brought it over to the trencherman's table, and felt his muscles lose a great burden as he placed it before him. The Toad's eyes lifted open as he sniffed cautiously. The chef stood eagerly by him, as he lifted out a grubby hand and yanked away a big chunk. The Toad munched thoughtfully for what seemed like ages. Then, his eyes widened in exultant pleasure.

"Oh, yes, yes, this is magnificent! Most delectable!" he cried.

"I aim to please," replied Chef Spore. Satisfied that the gourmand was happy, he turned to get to his till.

"Oh, and, I presume the other components will be around shortly?" the gourmand asked. "I understand entirely that one cannot bring a whole cake onto one mere table, hmm?"

At this point, Chef Spore was tempted to replace the chocolate with something equally as brown, not at all sweet. But before he could say anything, he heard a gasp of horror behind him. He turned, partly expecting the gourmand to- quite reasonably- be suffocating under his own bulk, partly that his fussy tastes had rejected the cake.

Instead, he saw what was once his cake decaying rapidly into a blue-moulded abomination. It crumbled apart before his eyes, the colours losing their intensity while the strong scent of cocoa turned into a rancid stench. It positively reeked of death, yet the ingredients were freshly taken only yesterday. Both of the restaurant's occupants clenched their nostrils in disgust and grimaced.

"My word!" roared the gourmand. "You _are_ trying to kill me!"

"What? Of course not!... yet. I swear, this isn't my fault. I mean, you saw how it was when I brought it..." He trailed off as he realised the cake was changing again; this time, returning to its past freshness. He couldn't explain it, yet right then, the cake was actually raising itself up to the way it was before. The toxic aroma vanished almost instantaneously, cocoa pervading the air once again, and the cake's skin regained its luxurious brown.

The gourmand was the first to regain his composure. "Ah," he bellowed, "I've seen some unique selling points in my day, but it rather seems your cake takes the biscuit. Speaking of biscuits, have you any?"

"Err- sir, um, I'm afraid this isn't-"

"Oh? Now what?"

The food wasn't settling yet. It was still rewinding itself- rewinding itself to before it was even made. As they watched, layer by layer disappeared from the cake, top to bottom, each breaking down into the ingredients that made it up. Within seconds, the once- tall treat was now just a pile of eggs, cocoa powder, flour and other items lying on a tray drenched with milk.

Neither of them spoke for minutes. Eventually, the gourmand broke the silence.

"Oh my... Absurd... This sort of mayhem, it really put's one off one's appetite, doesn't it?"

Chef Spore nodded enthusiastically. "I'd say."

The two looked uncomprehendingly at the mess before them, trying to make sense of it themselves.

"Then again," enunciated the gourmand, "perhaps if one still has the rest of the cake waiting, then one could find the room for some more. And even another fry-up, if one is possible..."

Chef Spore's mouth flapped open and closed like a Cheep Cheep for a long moment. Then, with great indignation, he grabbed his chef's hat and smacked it against the marble floor. "No, I'm afraid that won't be possible today, and quite frankly, _never again!_ I quit! This is insane! I give up!" And with that, he stormed back into his room and slammed the door on his way.

The gourmand stared, wide-eyed, at this abrupt tantrum. He looked back to his messy table, and sighed to himself.

"Such a shame. Clearly, not everyone can cater for a mortal. Couldn't even manage a simple snack for a light stomach..."

And so the gourmand muttered away to himself, dreadfully concerned about how he could last upnto his next meal. But his worries were ill-placed. Something was going on in the Mushroom Kingdom that had never occurred before. Something that concerned all within it.

The time disruption was spreading. _And time was running out._


	5. Breaking Point

"Ghosts of the past, you say? Visions of history coming to return, I believe?"

Professor E. Gadd practically leapt into Toadsworth's face. The old Toad was unnerved by the manic gleam behind his glasses.

"Ohohoho! More than that, feller, much more than that! This isn't just a vision of the past- if I'm correct, which I'm 99.9999999% certain I am, then this-" he threw his arms out towards the kids- "-_is_ the past!"

Nobody looked none the wiser, so he continued, "Though these two can't see us, and we can't interact with them, in their little wound of time, they exist both now and in the past! Only this moment they're in has slightly broken through, but I'll bet dollars to donuts that soon enough, they will be fully transitioned from then to now."

Luigi raised a timid hand. "Um... can I ask something?" E. Gadd nodded. "You, um, said they're in a 'wound of time'- I thought me and Mario dealt with that all long ago, y'know, when the ol' Mushroom Kingdom got invaded, and all..."

E. Gadd shook his head. "Those were time holes, my boy; evidently quite different. Those came about with the Cobalt Star shards reacting, and brought you from present to past, and the same again. No, no, these wounds were made by something- or someone- else, and I'm afraid they're only a one-way transport, far as I can tell."

Toadsworth looked worryingly at the carefree children. They wouldn't be so carefree soon enough.

"Then what, precisely, must we do?" Toadsworth asked. "Return them to their own world, yes, but how?"

"It isn't quite that simple, feller. I'm sure I could get another time machine rigged up in a jiffy and get them tip-top, posthaste, but that ain't the real problem. We've got the other wounds to deal with too, yep."

Luigi gaped. "Other?"

E. Gadd returned the expression. "Why, Luigi, you didn't think random wounds pop into the spacetime continuum alone, did you?"

"Err, I don't think I know at all about wounds popping into the spa-"

"Not at all! They spread from a single devastating attack, my boy!" With that, he took out a pickaxe.

Neither the Bros. nor Toadsworth thought to question why he had a pickaxe, nor how it fitted into his white laboratorial coat. Petrifaction tended to do that to you.

"You see, Luigi," he said, walking casually towards one of the courtyard's more tired sculptures of Princess Peach, "the damage that started everything was like, this!" He stabbed the pickaxe into the statue with a loud clink that made the others jump back. A small but perceptible crack formed on the base.

"See? That's just the initial assault on its own, but it's enough to splinter every thing and every time around it, just like this!" He swung again, even more rapidly, even more ferociously, and now cracks were spreading up the sculpture's body, up to Peach's chest.

"And in we all fall, all tumbling through these gaps as they develop, and they're mild at first, but still noticeable, becoming more prominent, and time becoming less, and seconds and minutes and hours and days and weeks and months and years and centuries and millenniums fade away until-"

The statue finally broke into countless pieces, descending to the grass below as a cloud of dust floated into the air.

"-there's no hole, and there's no time." E. Gadd. wiped his forehead and dropped his pickaxe as he turned to his audience. "And, that about sums it up, yep. So, do you fellers understand?"

The trio's mouths opened and shut, but no sound came out."

"Mmm, perhaps not. Maybe another demonstration may help-"

All three burst into motion.

"No, no, that's quite alright!-"

"-we get the picture, professor!-"

"-a most engaging demonstration, indeed!-"

"-just walk away from that other statue, now, that's alright!-"

"-just put the pickaxe down, calm yourself!"

E. Gadd smiled. "Ah, good. I must say, your reply is really generous of you! Boy, my students at my old university weren't so kind, you know. Thought I was too quiet, they'd say! Anyhoo, that's beyond the point. Right now, boys, we've to find the spatial origins of this threat, and put some tape to it!"

He raised his arm out in an epic gesture, and despite their fear, it was contagious enough for the other three to mirror it and let out their own feverish cries.

"Oh," the Professor interrupted, "but first, best get someone to clear away all this stone fallen about, huh? I swear, the disrepair you guys allow them to fall into..."

* * *

**Yep, it's a short chapter this time, but to be honest, I wanted to get the exposition out of the way for a bit, and the action actually... acting, I guess. **


	6. A Plan for Disaster

_"Oh, but first, best get someone to clear away all this stone fallen about, huh? I swear, the disrepair you guys allow them to fall into..."_

Watching far beyond the Mushroom Kingdom, a tall figure dwelt upon this rebellion in the making. He liked dealing with rebellions._ Ever so good at annihilating them whole._ He had good practise of this almost daily- him, a small but functional chamber, and a comfy revolving chair.

Oh, and the most destructive machine in the entirety of the known worlds. Which, he considered, may have to be put into use again. His scheme may well depend on it.

Looking at his screen again, he thought coldly, logically, about how best to eliminate this threat. Squish them under a huge Thwomp? No. Too immediate. Swarm them with Bob-ombs? Probably would catch his own people's attention; such an unnatural occurrence would be far too obvious. No. He needed something plausible, something that suggested an avoidable, unfortunate demise.

And importantly, something that could finish them off. He ruminated over this. Then, bringing himself to his vast metallic contraption, he touched his rigid head against it and translated his thoughts into matter. And the matter was given purpose- to destroy.

* * *

"So, uh, where do we start?" asked Luigi. "The weak point, yeah? How do we know where that is?"

"Simple, my boy! That'd be the spot where time is weakest, don't you know!"

A tumbleweed blew by. The group were locked in place.

"...in other words... you've no clue, have you?" E. Gadd remained as he was. "That ain't very scientific, is it? Just, wandering around to find what we're looking for... Eh, Mario...?"

Mario wasn't listening. He was staring instead towards Toad Town, away in the distance. But he wasn't looking at it.

_There was something else._

They could all sense it, though nothing could be seen. But then, a definite form came about, all at once. Out of thin air. It was unlike any other being they had ever seen, even with their considerable experience. 5 feet wide, twice as much tall, with harsh purple skin draped over a mighty humanoid bulk. You could call it a beast, but in comparison, all the other creatures in the Kingdom were as beautiful as Peach- a great big stinking 'The Beast' was the only title it , two arms and a head, but that's where the similarities ended. The rest was like an amalgamation of features, with vast wings, long spiky tentacles, and unrelentingly hot warts placed inexplicably across the flesh, even where facial features would have been.

It somehow didn't need them though, for it could detect Mario easily enough. And throw a devastating hand right towards him too. Mario shrieked, surprised, and leapt deftly over it, barely scraping himself against a spike. Before he could land, though, the other arm followed up, and the plumber felt the full force of the blow. He rocketed backwards and collided with another statue of Peach with a painful thud. As he smacked on a ? block below, the statue followed, pieces surrounding the dazed hero.

Luigi wanted to scream. He wanted to flee, or just drag his brother away from this Beast. But he knew what he must do.

"Toadsworth, Professor, get out of here! Run for it!" he screamed. "Shut the doors too! Just keep the Princess and everyone in the castle, safe!"

The two old men hesitated for a moment, but eventually, their duty of protecting the Princess won out.

"Very well, Master Luigi," Toadsworth bowed, "you are the master. But do care for yourselves!"

Luigi nodded, and returned his focus on the Beast that was still targeting Mario. Despite its bulk, it was striding towards him at an amazing pace that would even intimidate an Amazy Dayzee. It certainly intimidated him. But his twin brother's life was at stake.

Luigi sprung up and bounced carefully on the Beast's softer parts, propelling himself upwards on its wings. It ignored him entirely, until he managed a fair height above it and ground-pounded the head. A massive convulsion threw Luigi off into a bush below. He peeked out, but all he saw was that his attack had only barely hurt it. And very much angered it, which he realised with a cry as a fist pounded into the grass just inches from his nose. He bounded backwards, and kept doing so as a barrage of swipes began. Each one so nearly hit the mark, and soon one would.

Eventually, the taller plumber tripped over on a block behind him, falling on his back. He was vulnerable. And soon dead.

But, as he opened his eyes, he realised that the Beast was actually dithering between him and something behind itself. There was some noise too, like ice colliding with fire...

Then he saw it- through the beast's legs, there was Mario, now in his light blue and red overalls. The block he landed on must have been an Ice Flower block! As the Beast screeched with every shot Mario threw, Luigi brought his attention to the one he tripped on. Blocks close together normally held the same things, didn't they? Then, this was his chance! Preparing himself, Luigi kicked the box at its side, and leapt triumphantly to grab just what he needed-

-a coin. Oh. 'Well,' thought Luigi, 'that's something, I guess.' Rather than collect it, he yielded it in his right hand. The Beast was still distracted by the bursts of ice. Swinging his arm backwards, Luigi threw the coin directly at its head like a Frisbee, hitting with a mild twang. The Beast turned around, confused, crushing the coin under its foot.

"Mamma mia!"

Wild tentacles shot out at him, tightly wrapping him in a suffocating embrace. Mario stopped his assault, realising his partner's despair. A choked cry that sounded like "Mario!" escaped through the writhing tentacles. But Luigi wouldn't, not if he didn't do something.

Mario paced back two steps, then sped towards Luigi's captor. It was disregarding the green plumber ebbing away in its grasp, now returning its focus on Mario. But while it was doing so, Mario leapt quickly onto a haphazard wing, moving on and up until he was high enough to backflip over the Beast. Avoiding another flurry of tentacles reaching for him, he aimed at those that imprisoned his taller partner and flung several ice balls right at them. They fragmented right between each link, each eliciting a painful cry from the Beast. In such pain, it loosened its grip on Luigi. He fell, surprised, crashing awkwardly on the grass below.

Mario descended beside him. Luigi stumbled getting up, and turned his head to him. Both glanced each other, and smiled. Thumbs up. And a giant purple fist down between them wiped the smile off their faces. The fight wasn't over yet. Not by a long shot.

* * *

"Now, now, everyone," Toadsworth bellowed, "there's no cause for mayhem, I assure you! Masters Mario and Luigi are sorting out this latest rapscallion even as I speak. Why, I'm positive that before we know it, they shall have given that rogue a beating or two! We need just remain inside, and-"

"Rapscallion? Rogue?" yelled a green Toad from the crowd that had gathered to hear Toadsworth. "That thing out there's a _demon_!"

"Horrifying!" called another.

"I hope those Mario Bros. are okay..."

"Look at it! They've as good as corked it."

"I miss Bowser now..."

"It looks kinda cute actually-"

"SILENCE!" Toadsworth shouted. Everyone obliged. Toadsworth cleared his throat. "Ahem... As I was saying, the Masters are dealing with things even as we speak. Now, I recognise that their latest combatant is rather more... _hefty_, than most. Heedless, they have faced tougher terrors in their considerable lifetimes, and doubtless this one shall pose no more trouble than most."

Perched on an open arch in the front entrance, facing the battle outside, a 3DS Health Points Totality Predictor was resting on its smooth metallic surface. E. Gadd's latest invention, its functions ranged from expanding the dimensions of objects, logging the names of people passed in the street, and-as E. Gadd needed in this case- analysing the impact of damage accumulated and the physiological structure of the Beast, to determine its health and weaknesses.

It also provoked dizziness, nausea and headaches with prolonged use. But that was another story.

It was giving the Professor a headache of different sort right now, though. The readings it was producing just didn't make sense. 'Impossible', was the word. And despite how many adjustments he made, how much he slapped the contraption to make it behave, it remained stubborn.

"So how long are we gonna be cooped up in here?" an orange Toad asked Toadsworth.

Toadsworth sighed. "I repeat, until the Masters have bested it." He struck his cane angrily on the marble floor. "I beg of you, _what else can I tell you!?_ I'm not psychic!"

"Erm... Toadsworth, a word, if you'd please..."

Toadsworth felt E. Gadd tugging anxiously on his brown overcoat. The look on his face suggested it wasn't a pleasant word.

"Oh, yes, of course. Meanwhile," Toadsworth said, raising his voice for the fifty Toads around him, "I would recommend you return to your businesses, best as you can, keeping your distance from any opening to outside. Now, as you were."

E. Gadd practically dragged him away as the crowd poured out of the room. "Well?" Toadsworth demanded. "What has your gizmo told you?"

The Professor's face was strained, more than Toadsworth had ever seen it. "I'm rather afraid yon Beast won't be 'bested', as you say, anytime soon. Quite frankly, I'm 'fraid it can't be bested at all."

"I do not get you," Toadsworth replied; even though he fearfully did.

"The Beast," declared the Professor, "is immortal. We've nothing we can do- the Castle's as good as done."


	7. Played by a Beast

The fight still raged in the Castle's gardens, though you wouldn't think them to be gardens any more. 'War zones' seemed more appropriate, especially with how unrelentingly ferocious the combat was.

Another huge hole was beaten into existence before the Castle, Luigi somersaulting dangerously close to the purple fist responsible. Mid-air and safe- except for the foul creature's frenzied wings. They flapped at him at an insane pace, a rapid blur blowing him and his screams away even more rapidly. He crashed into one of the few trees still standing, and in a second and a crack, it stood no more, and neither did Luigi as he, too, crashed to the dust below.

The Beast sped to his vulnerable prey, wings now propelling it forwards. It prepared another onslaught of tentacles; the finishing blows. Quickly, though, the green plumber got up and stepped onto the fallen log. The purple extensions reached for him. He jumped.

Instead of stabbing into flesh, the appendages broke into the wood and became lodged within it. Even withdrawing them, the Beast found it was still stuck within the log- and now it was the vulnerable one.

Luigi landed neatly right next to Mario, and both winked at each other. Reaching into their vacuous pockets, they pulled out their trusty hammers- this had to be fast. The duo tensed, leapt at the log together and hammered it with all their tiring might. It blasted back at the Beast- a direct hit to the head. It thundered with fury, splinters flying everywhere or embedding themselves in its dark flesh. Were it mortal, the agony it would be enduring would be enough to put a stop to its aggression at once.

It retaliated almost immediately. Twirling around like a tornado, accelerating with every beat of its wings, the beast spun towards them. Too sudden to react, the force of it hit them pointblank, and sent them again far across the courtyard.

While Mario crashed and broke his way through a row of once-neat hedges, the taller Bros skidded off the grass towards the Castle. An explosion of grass followed in its wake, all the way up to a few metres from the Castle's side where Luigi's flight came to a stop. He groaned to himself, rubbing his aching head, somewhat surprised it hadn't snapped off at this point. _'This isn't what I was thinking of when I wanted to go to the doctors this morning,'_ he thought._ 'I meant to do the treatments; not be the one needing treatment!'_

"Luigi... Luigi, my boy..."

_'Oh, great. Now I'm imagining voices too! I'm a-gonna be needing a therapist too...'_

gave up, and flung an apple out the window. It smacked into Luigi's nose which swelled and reddened, looking more like an apple than the fruit itself.

"Ouch!" Luigi yelled. "And one doing anger management too!"

"Beg your pardon?" the Professor called, then shook his head. "Ah, never you mind, E. Gadd. Here, Luigi- are you listening close now?"

"Err, I can't hear you over how bright my nose is, thanks-"

"Oh, do calm yerself, young feller." E. Gadd frowned to himself. "Except, erm, don't. It ain't cheery news, I'm 'fraid. It's..."

Toadsworth popped his head out of the window. "Oh, Master Luigi, you and Master Mario must evade this foe, I insist; all your pep is in vain!"

"Hah? What do you mean?" Luigi demanded, leaning weakly towards them.

"My 3DS Health Points Totality Predictor reckons that what you fellers are up against has no game over!" exclaimed the Professor. "Reading the data stripped from your big ol' brawl, my device is refusing to number that beastie's vitality. The thing can't even suggest any possible death animation-"

"Ahem," Toadsworth coughed, "what, dare I ask, do you mean by 'death animation'?"

"Why, um, that'd be what you'd call... your likely final animation- movement- before you run out of lives, of course. And if it ain't got one, then no amount of Spinys in its... _vulnerables_... will do you any good." The Professor straightened his glasses, and for the first time Luigi could see just how hopeless his eyes were behind them. "You fellers got to go. Get that Beast off your tracks, don't you mind if it hassles us instead. You've time to save, and you haven't got much..."

Luigi listened patiently to all this, and once E. Gadd's eyebrows drooped in his final resignation, Toadworth scratching absentmindedly at his cane, he raised himself to his full height and turned back to the battlefield. The Beast was still searching for Mario, but not for much longer.

"No."

Toadsworth and the Professor gaped. _"What..?"_

"That's not what us Bros do. If Mario heard ya, he'd say no too. I know." Luigi tilted his head back at them. "You guys escape if you can, but we're sticking around. That's what makes us Bros- we don't give in and say impossible. Even if he ain't there, I'd still not do it, cos neither would he. What else would I do, stay home and hide? Man, that'd be worse than facing King Boo! Fighting's better than nothing, so here's something!"

"Master Luigi!" Toadsworth wheezed. "No it is not; your 'something' is suicide! Just_ get away!_"

But Luigi was already staggering back to the gargantuan, and quite likely, his end.

The Beast was still prowling around in its unusual way: striding forward and looking from side to side, only to face forwards again and continue this regime. Luigi couldn't explain it, but somehow, he was beginning to think there was more to the creature than met the Mr. I. There was something unnatural in its movement, some peculiar logic underneath its actions. Rather mechanical.

_Almost as if it were programmed._

The green plumber tiptoed gently behind it as it searched, completely oblivious to his presence. _'A plan would be good at this point,'_ Luigi ruminated, _'good for helping me not die...'_

Hands burst out of the bush beside him and jerked him into it from the feet onwards. He had no plan.

"Mario!" he hollered. "Help-a me! _Marioooooooo-_"

But then his mouth was covered, and his body was restrained, and unable to resist, he was turned around to meet his dreadful fate of-

It was Mario! The short plumber lifted a finger to his lips sternly, but a shine blossomed in his eyes to see that his partner wasn't down and out.

That could change in the next few seconds, though, they realised. The Beast backtracked to the source of the screams, scanning the area more closely than before. The Bros peered out carefully. From what they could see, it was now suspicious of the bushes. Tentacles were poking into the one opposite them, writhing around to catch out anyone within. Satisfied that it was empty of prey, the extensions receded. Now they pierced into their hiding place. Without a second to spare, the Bros anticipated and twisted around the tentacles as they pushed through. Mario was stuck in something like a one-legged, bendy chair pose, whereas Luigi had to avoid by curving his body into the shape of a snake. Neither dared to breathe. The appendages wriggled around in the bush for what seemed like aeons. Mario thought he couldn't possibly tighten his body any further- he regretted all those Fried Shroom Plates now- and, for a moment, it looked like one tentacle would venture close enough to feel his dungarees. But, before the two plumbers could suffocate themselves on the air they held back, the tentacles withdrew and the Beast could be heard stepping away. They had eluded it. The Bros grinned.

And Mario belched. Everything happened in a blur: the Beast blew their cover far across the courtyard with its wings, the Bros along with it. Luigi pushed Mario out of the way of a brick block he was about to collide with, while Mario multitasked between eluding and blocking the rush of fireballs from the Beast's warts with his iceballs and vowing never to boredom-eat again.

"Mario!"

The shorter plumber glanced behind him to where Luigi was looking. At this speed, they were going to splash straight into the Castle's lake- and at the pace the Beast was going at, before they could get out onto dry land, it would have reached the edge and bombarded them while they slowly swam in the lake. Both knew they wouldn't be swimming for long.

Mario narrowed his eyes at the lake, trying to guess where precisely the two of them would splash into it. They should hit the water just about... _there_. At least, he hoped so. This wasn't something to be wrong about. With only seconds to go, he held back his hands and called upon the Ice Flower's powers. Two iceballs only, could he muster; and large as they were, they seemed not enough.

Yet, it worked! Mere metres from the lake, the Mario Bros watched as both projectiles touched upon the water surface, both producing their own icy platform. The two plumbers landed feet-first on one each, though Luigi's more troublesome traction meant that a few seconds were spent skidding around and risking a tumble into the water. Thankfully he recovered quite quickly, and without time to spare too- the Beast had arrived.

For a long, dreadful moment, Mario and Luigi froze; more rigid and still than the ice under their feet. Neither moved- any move at all could be their last. The Beast's ability to discharge flames at them was tired- as the plumbers could guess from the dull, shrunken lumps on its skin in place of the once-bright, bigger warts- but there was nothing to stop it or its tentacles from simply wading in and smashing their support into pieces, or them either. Supposedly.

But as the seconds passed, and the Beast remained impassive, confusion and impatience overtook their fear. _What was it waiting for?_ For its flames to recharge and blast again at the duo? For the ice to melt so the plumbers would be flailing around and easy pickings?

No, both decided internally. This was an animal of impatience and pragmatism; not something that would wait to relish the reaping of a long game. It should have broke through the water without a second thought, should now be wading in plumber soup. So _what is it with the water?_

The two were so vexed, they almost didn't notice the Beast's wings gathering momentum and their clothes beginning to ripple. When they did, though, it was far too late. Their feet were lifting off their platforms, and with shock, they saw that so were their platforms off the water. It was too gentle a breeze, certainly, to bring them right across to the other side of the lake. But far too strong to not get them into the water, where neither could stand their ground at all, in more ways than one.

Mario, quick-thinking, heaved his body weight towards the upturned side of his platform and sank it back down again, bit by bit. The other moustached fighter, knowing he was less generous with his meal servings, rode his platform out with its flips and shakes. He gasped and flinched his way past jagged rocks that chipped away the floor beneath his feet, all the while reassuring himself he was just surfboarding. _Plain, relaxing surfboarding._ Aside from it being a fragile, shrinking ice-board instead, and an uncontrollable one at that, in not exactly the most plain or relaxing of circumstances, more life-threatening if anything, and didn't he burst into tears when he rode one in his youth?, and Mario was getting further away-

-and behind him a horde of sharp rocks was getting even closer. Desperation pushed him the extra mile, and he jumped behind his platform with gloves pressed against its end. Damp feet paddled violently against the forces, even against his fatigue, pushing to save it and himself from destruction.

The ice Mario held onto was still standing- albeit at an odd angle, and still slowly following the journey the Beast was sending it upon. One hand gripped the ice, the other conjuring iceballs to cease the purple monster's wings. Mario was more puffed out than he could ever recall by now; still, he allowed himself a tiny smile as he held on. This wasn't over. The two of them, the Mario Bros, weren't down and out yet._ 'Isn't that-a right, Lui-'_

He turned around and gasped. Luigi was now like a dot in the background, before a group of hazardous rocks that could be seen even from where Mario was. _So much for not being down and out..._ Mario sighed, almost a fond sigh, briefly forgetting his own predicament. There was no other choice- he had to get his bro out of this mess himself. He pulled himself up slowly, difficult on the slippery ice, and leapt as it flipped with his movement. His feet plonked onto the iceboard, a little crack beginning to show in its centre. He considered creating another platform; but with the gust of wind blowing everything back, another sheet of ice could easily crash against the other and contribute to its destruction. This one would have to do.

"Luigi!" The green clothed- and sickly green-skinned- plumber opened his eyes and forgot his pain for a moment, as Mario was waving at him- or was he just balancing his platform?- while riding towards him. He rode it with far more grace than could be expected of such a portly plumber, but Luigi was too grateful to care. Mario was nearing him at a tremendous rate, so Luigi raised out an arm in expectation while swimming against the currents. For a moment, he could feel his right shoe tap against something rough and hard, and hadn't the heart to look back at how close he was to being squished between the ice and the rocks. His eyes closed once, expecting the worse- and opened wide with joy as he felt Mario's hand grab his own and lift him up onto the iceboard he rode.

Luigi kept his lunch down as he stabilised himself. "Thanks, bro!" he said, his voice loud to overcome the noisy currents. Mario only glanced once at him, but of course he was preoccupied with navigating their iceboard. "Sorry I got ya into this... and sorry for not calling out for you. I just didn't want to trouble you, or anything..."

The older plumber stared once again at Luigi, and this time, Luigi could only see pride and understanding in his eyes. He'd probably have hypothermia after all this, but for now, his heart was hotter than ever with unbridled happiness.

The two resumed focus on their path, and panic dismissed the positivity. Coming up, a row of jagged rocks too wide to manoeuvre around, even with the two of them driving.

"We gotta jump it!" cried Luigi. Mario nodded. It was a bad idea, and quite likely they would land painfully astride the rocks. It was also their only idea, though, so bracing themselves, the two jumped off their platform as it shattered into the rocks. Each could almost feel the failure that could come, the agony their crotch would feel if they weren't high enough... and then great relief as they saw their feet pass centimetres over the rocks. They made it!

Mario brought his arms back again, preparing himself to create another pair of platforms. His eyes were riveted to an open spot, his clothes emanated with cold energy as two iceballs gathered in his hands-

-but then, out of nowhere, appeared a group of frog-suited Toads swimming in the lake. Their faces were plastered with grins and mild exertion, like there wasn't a murderous abomination waiting for them or anything. It was like they were living in another time.

So surprised were the Mario Bros, the iceballs broke apart in Mario's hands. Neither of them could feel the sensation of their bodies under strain as they sank into the lake, nor the cold rush of water as it poured into their mouths.

Although, there was one odd feeling; and it was of leaving the world around them...

* * *

"Right, steady now, people!" Toadsworth bellowed to the crowd that had reformed before him. Nobody had seen head nor pimple of the Beast for a good few minutes now, and the Mario Bros hadn't approached the Castle since E. Gadd last spoke to Luigi. The Professor's 'DSi Spy'- another invention brought about by sleepless nights and a curious phase involving Birdo- was busy detecting the life signs of the plumbers by matching them with the material found in their own strands of hair. So far, the signals were weakening, which meant that they, and thus the Beast, were getting distant from the Castle entrance, and at least were still alive. If there was a time to escape, it was now.

"Are we all accounted for?" Toadsworth whispered to the young registrar beside him.

"Yes, sir, all present and ready." He tightened his tie as he added, "The Princess, however, insists on all going as she remains in her throne room"-Toadsworth gaped- "so as to spare us that creature's wrath. Presuming it will go for her after the Mario Bros, of course."

Toadsworth coughed and cried in making an argument, but gave in recalling how stubborn the Princess could be. "Quite right," he murmured, "quite right. Now listen in, people," Toadsworth called to the crowd, "we are now to leave in an orderly single file; is that clear? Alphabetical order, as possible, starting with young Ace"- everyone glared at Ace- " but ending with my own self. Is this all und-"

A whirring sound cut him off. Toadsworth looked around confusedly, and his eyes settled on E. Gadd's DSi Spy. So did the Professor's eyes, which were riveted on its screens, and- was that a tear falling behind his glasses?

Toadsworth wandered over to him. "Why, what does that sound mean, sir?... Professor, speak to me."

E. Gadd didn't turn his face from the device. "That sound... That is the DSi Spy powering down."

"Oh? I see."

"No, feller, I don't think you do. I didn't turn it off, and the battery's good as full. It turned off because it's nothing to do."

"But... This gadget of yours, you had turned it on to detect Masters Mario and Luigi, unless I am mistaken? Why-"

Now E. Gadd did look up. "To detect their life signs, yes. And it can't do that anymore. I'm sorry, Toadsworth. I'm sorry, everyone. But the Mario Bros have met their 'Game Over'."

Something slammed powerfully against the wooden door. The Beast had moved on-_ it was their turn next._

* * *

**Sorry if this chapter has taken longer than others getting published- there's something about mid-somethings that my mind's allergic to, more than pre- and post- events. Hello, 'writer's block'... Anyway, this chapter may be slightly bigger than those before it, which is the intention. I feel like I'm offloading chapters that are all exposition, no action, so with more content I could actually include a reasonable dose of both.**

**MLE1894- thank you very much for your kind review! Means a lot at this stage, especially since my style looks sorta different to other fanfic writers. Good or bad different, wasn't entirely sure- I'll take your word for the former! The lack of attention, I guess, is probably because of this, I can see how it could put someone off.**


	8. Conflict

_...bright. So, so bright... Luigi didn't get where he was, but he recognised it like his treasured cap. It all made sense now... This is the end. World -1... and so bright. Only bright. Only... but, there is a voice..?_

_"Luigi..."_

_So light... yet so heavy with passion. He could tell, from so very little which was so enough, he wanted to be here- whatever here is- with his special one. Eternity in daisies, royal and orange- Royal and Orange. And there she was. The dress billowing out, the love even more. For him. It was embracing him, the slender arms were embracing him, her lips embracing his..._

_...so soft, with the touch of flowers, rich wine, and-_

_...slimy spores? Everything left him, and replacing the comfort..._

"Is it working?" asked the Toad. "Should I do it again?"

"Well, a kiss of life extra can't do any harm, 'Frog Master'," offered an older one behind him.

"Great- I mean, er, as you say!" He stared into Luigi's eyes, pushing the loose curls of blonde hair out of his own hazel pools. He kissed.

Luigi flung himself up and spluttered like a Cataquack, Toad-spit bursting out of his mouth in a raging fountain._ 'Kiss of life? More like a Poison Shroom than a 1-Up!'_

"Ah! Steady on there, man, you're alright now. No need to panic..."

"Luigi!" cried a familiar Italian voice. He straightened up, recognising his bro with great delight. There was Mario just before him; a swarm of Toads by his side and the lake behind them. The Toads were all adorned in green Frog Suits-

_He remembered!_ They were all immersed in the water, and on the- _this_ lakeshore!, that purple abomination was prowling around and-

"Luigi!" His bro burst into his track of thought, shaking his head reassuringly. In his eyes, though, the green plumber could see a hint of confusion, confusion with thankfulness... _what happened?_

"Luigi, is it?" queried the young Toad that had been intimate with his lips. He had decided to keep his distance, though his arms swung awkwardly as if eager to touch. "Pleased to meet you, my sir!"

_"I'm sure you are..."_ muttered Luigi. He ran through a few questions in his mind, needing to learn his mood, the same Toad spoke again.

"Oh, so sorry! I've not introduced myself and my friends. I'm 'Frog Leader' Wilder Smush, but you can call me 'Wild'"-_ 'I'm sure you are,'_ thought Luigi- " and these guys back here, the 'Super Swimmer Buddies'!"

"... swimming..?"

Wilder laughed. "Yep, we were until along came you 'Super Drowner Bros.'! Got ya both back straight away, we did. Good thing too; you looked ready to cork it." His eyebrow curved suggestively. "You two weren't having _too much fun_, now, were ya?"

Luigi flushed. "What? N-no, of course we weren't having fun! No fun at all! ... Well, it was _kinda_ exciting, really made me breathless and all like I've never-"

"Hmm?" grinned Wilder. "First time, is it?"

"Wha- I, er guess it is sorta and"- he slapped himself sane- "_n-never mind!_ That doesn't matter! I mean, what about that monster and everything? And where'd you all come from?!"

Wilder and the other Toads behind him frowned. "'Monster?' What monster?" His eyebrows raised suddenly in fear. "Ya don't mean Lord Gnash, do ya? _He's here?!_"

The name tugged at Luigi's memory for some reason. It was only a vague recollection... but somehow, especially seeing how frightened the Toads were at hearing the name, he knew this 'Lord Gnash' wasn't a pushover. "Er, no. I mean that purple freak with the tentacles and teenage acne. Y'know, the one threatening the Castle?"

"Tentacles?" The young Toad resumed his bantering. "'Kinda exciting' indeed! But, with regret, I must correct you there- the Castle's the same as ever! Just look behind ya!"

Wilder spun him round, and, for a moment, Luigi's eyes wandered, uncomprehendingly. He searched what he was seeing, not understanding why he wasn't noticing the Castle. Then he realised. Where the Castle had just been, now there was a smaller, yet undeniably big building. Vast front-door, fenced-off moat, and the stone walkway over it, all present and accounted for. Even the same feelings of awe and reverence were sparked, to see just how mighty a Kingdom it was that he and its residents could live in and dream of the utopia to come, lounging in the utopia that already was.

Still, though, he could tell that this wasn't his home, nor Mario's. This wasn't the Castle they knew- the walls were a fetid black, variating in tone from left to right, up to down, like some chump did a lousy rush-job. There was no stained glass window of Peach... no windows at all. The roof, too, was different, with strong grey walls along its edges like some sort of barrier. Looking closer at the stone walkway now, he saw that it was actually narrower than he was used to, and with a slight slope to it too. Something round could easily slip off into the water below...

"See?" Wilder smiled. "Business as usual. Ugly, I know, but that's war for ya."

The Mario Bros. shared a concerned glance. _War..?_

"Oh, and to answer your second question... well, actually, I can't." It was Wilder's turn to look baffled. "We didn'tappear from anywhere- you two did. Out of the blue, into the... blue. Bad metaphor. Sorry. Anyhow, this is what we'd like to know- where did _you two_ come from?"

* * *

_'There are tales, of one time. Many, many opposing accounts of an alien time. Not the time of aliens- that comes much, much later. This is a tale of an inconstant realm; and this nature is all of that time that we can ever truly agree about._

_Why? Because inconstant times utter inconstant words, for mortal's inconstant grasp with their inconstant temperament._

_Here is my own. In this time, change overwhelmed its people. And this was not even the entirety of it, though they did not, could not know of it. Instead, they dwelt upon more immediate issue._

_ Namely, that of war._

_Yes; the smallest Shy Guy to the mightiest Magikoopa spoke in hushed tones about the war that raged. You must remember that in this era, we- ahem- they, had no divisions as they have now. 'Koopa' and 'Toad' were titles without meaning, as neither Koopa nor Toad raised fist to each other in pursuit of conquest. Had these people witnessed the animosity between the two now, the bowelless struggle between King Bowser's forces and the Mushroom Kingdom's defenders... "An illusion," they would claim. "Preposterous," they would proclaim. "Any old fool can tell the two are not, or ever, enemies._

_It is the ones with teeth that we must fear."'_

* * *

Luigi had talked long enough by this point, and these revelations were starting to drain his motivation. Instead, Mario had came to his aid and explained their story to the Toads as they undressed (thankfully, their regular clothes were left on when they had put on the Frog Suits- Luigi already had his fair share of eye-openers today). There was something about their clothing that he felt he should remember. _Hadn't he seen similar weary cloths, coloured orange and red before..?_

"Luigi?" Mario shook him out of his memories, standing with arms above his head like some exaggerated monster. The taller plumber stood dumbfounded, but quickly cottoned on as to what Mario needed of him. He nodded, turned and ran on the spot as if afraid. 'The Beast' mimed wings blowing, Luigi flung himself into the floor. The two play-acted up to their current situation, trying desperately hard not to go beyond paralanguage (Mario still had self-esteem issues since Peach had commented on his deep voice after the seven Koopa hotels incident. His monthly voice-therapy sessions were still ongoing). Finally, Luigi lied down, eyes closed, at the point of the story where they had fallen into the lake, unconscious to the world.

Mario leant in towards him, head inclined towards his bro, lips puckered up.

"Touch me, and I kill you."

Mario moved away awkwardly, abruptly bowing to his audience. Of course, it was completely illogical for anyone to have understood a word of their story, especially since they didn't use any words. Impossible, really.

"Oh, I see!" exclaimed Wilder. The others nodded wisely. "So to you two, we were the ones to pop into being, and from your perspectives, we don't make sense since we should be fleeing from that baddie you mentioned!"

Mario smiled sheepishly at the group.

"But, then," Wilder murmured, pacing between the two plumbers, "if things here aren't as you guys saw them... what actually happened?"

Everywhere thought for a second; it was the first time they tried to determine how the two parties met. Then, soundlessly, Mario removed his hand from his chin and held it up. He pointed to the clock tower in the distant Toad Town. It was wounded.

* * *

_'Even by the seconds, the fear does dwindle. The foes of old are the bugs of today. I have not lived for such a length, but had I breathed the air of creation's first steps, I have faith Gloombas may be upheld as its demons, and Lakitus, the embodiments of death._

_Well, they still are, I gather. But that's beside the point._

_In this era that I refer to, terror was the response to many, now commonplace creatures. You fear what you do not understand, and one fear stood out above the rest._

_The enemy was many, but it needn't be: one was threat enough._

_Hmm. I could laugh, if crying wasn't so easy. The legion isn't dead. Time is like peace to them: it doesn't exist. And that is the shame- a defeat for them which time will not release them from._

_At least, fools hope so in their hearts. I doubt it. The naïve dot them around our world as mere hazards, puny little pets. They once ruled the worlds. Now they are but dots in them. For now._

_Back then, though, they came at night.'_

* * *

Mario and Luigi journeyed slowly through Toad Town as they sought to find an inn for the night, or longer. 'Longer' being very likely. The 'Super Swimmer Buddies' were sympathetic to their plight, if not suspecting that some particularly whacky mushrooms were to blame for them believing they had such a strange story, but had no suggestions, bar finding a roof to sleep under, and doing so before night arrived. The sun was setting behind the two, and they still had no luck.

Their backs ached, as did their hearts to see the past they had fallen into. Every step they took, an air of expectation enveloped them. "Hey, there's a dojo just across from here!" Mario's eyes glistened as he hoped to stop off at Club 64 and indulge in some nostalgia. Both wanted to lay in Minh T.'s flower garden for a moment and let the aromas distract them from their aches.

But, of course, they were in the past. Toad Town was lifeless, like everyone withdrawn into their homes. Which they had. There was no dojo, no Club 64 to lounge around at, and no Minh T. or flowers for them to rest in. Instead, crates full of wooden Bullet Bills (the steel industry wasn't so advanced back then) sat at each spot.

Mario picked one of them up, and spun its sleek body in his hands. This whole business about war was very worrying, and clearly it wasn't like the typical short, frequent invasions they were used to. Every building they passed, even the least significant household, was heavily barred and bolstered like some sort of secure houses. The only ones that weren't were destroyed.

The Mario Bros. frowned at each other. They _really_ needed to find that inn...

Something howled in the distance. They froze. It howled again. No, _two_ somethings. Then another cry to the night. And another. And another...

They ran for it.

_'The ones with the teeth were the unceasing foe, and they could be big as they could be smart. In truth, they didn't need to come out every night in their ritual and stalk the Kingdom, chomping in their numbers. And it wasn't that they needed to hunt, since they never hungered and were never satiated._

_No. They just enjoyed to scare.'_

The two plumbers were panting with the exertion, knowing that whatever was out there, there was a reason they were out. Dashing to the edge of a small grocers, Mario skidded to a halt and held his hands above his head. The green plumber bounced on his palms and onto the brown-tiled roof above, peering around for whatever roamed in the dark. Mario wall-jumped behind him and flipped onto the tile next to him. He, too, was on the lookout, and also shuddered at the sound of another howl. It was closer now.

Recovering, Mario placed a hand on Luigi's shoulder and directed his attention to a wonky two-floor building to their left, a sign nailed above its doorway- 'LETMIA INN.' Neither said anything; they only sped towards it, leaping from roof to roof. It was only a few seconds away.

Something- _somethings?_- heavy progressed with them too, heavy thuds coming ever closer. Sounding only seconds away too.

_'Likewise, from Dimble Woods to Toad Town, everyone who heard of the legion followed their own ritual- hiding. Every night, without fail, because if not one night, there would never be another. Down went the shutters, off went the music, all until the next day when they could again taste sweet freedom, and be exultant that they were not yet tasted. Not yet._

_The mornings brought together the peoples in their shared happiness. "Yeah!" they would say. "We got good luck last night!" Conveniently forgetting the missing who didn't. The mornings brought together the peoples._

_The terror of the nights, though, brought mothers to betray sons, and best friend to abandon best friends. Were you out? You stay out. Few would risk taking in those who endangered their souls in the dark, not even soul mates.'_

They were there. Right before them, the door to the inn. There was no sign of life, and the battered threshold wasn't hugely comforting. But neither was the dull thudding behind them.

Mario shot up the stairway and reached frantically for the doorknob, twisting it as he glinted at the pathways behind them. The door wouldn't open. He became more urgent now, banging on it lightly, trying not to alert those following them.

_'Not even the idols.'_

_Thud. Thud._ Louder and louder, and not just because it was getting nearer.

Luigi was now joining in with his bro, pounding on the door with his hands, with his body. The older brother grabbed him and glared- what would be the point of breaking in if those pursuing them could just follow through afterwards? Again they hit against the door, the walls, the windows. No response. Just the sound of their palms crashing against the inn. And the hunters right behind them.

_'Not even inns.'_


	9. Dying

_Thud. Thud. Thud._

Maybe that was the creatures following behind them. Maybe it was their hearts pounding in their chests, dreadfully aware they wouldn't beat much longer. _Did it really matter?_ Mario didn't think so. Though Luigi refused to stop hitting against the walls, the only thing the older brother cared about was to save him from the worst that would happen.

...behind them... that sound... _jaws?_ Jaws, opening and closing, snarling... they sounded huge. _Hungry._

Mario looked at the green plumber again. So innocent, so undeserving of the death that would swallow him.

He took out his hammer, levelled it towards Luigi's head. This would be quick. He'd be afraid, then he'd be _nothing_. _Did they get in? Were they doomed? _He'd never know. It was for the best. What any bro would do. Mario raised it high. He prepared to throw.

And Luigi whirled round, expression moving from panic to confusion. Neither moved for a vague second. Then, much to Mario's surprise, Luigi grinned.

"Oh, _of course!_" Luigi exclaimed. "That's a brilliant idea, bro! You're the best!" He nodded, in apparent understanding, and quickly ran to the other side of the inn. When Mario reached him, he was frantically smacking his own hammer into one of the building's weakest spots. He eyed Mario, a look that told him his help would be _much_ appreciated. Though he didn't get the plan, Mario joined in. It wasn't their hearts beating now; it was their might against the wood. And the wood was failing.

The wall was moving in further, and though they worked fast, Mario feared it wasn't fast enough. Abruptly, however, it caved in, and through the cloud of dust they could catch very faint forms inside. Before it could clear, Luigi yanked the hammer out of Mario's hand and dashed with the two over to the side of the inn.

There was still no sight of those following them, but Luigi knew he had only one chance. Inhale, exhale. He stared determinedly at a distant tree. Dashed towards it. Jumped- one, two, and... He managed the triple jump, and at its peak, he threw the hammers held behind him with as much force as he could muster. They spun through the air- pointlessly?

He wasn't at all sure if his attempt had worked. There wasn't time to check- he burst back towards the rear of the inn, unwilling to even glance behind him. Reaching the edge, gratefully, he received the confirmation he needed- two hollow sounds, the sounds of metal thwacking into a hollow tree. Luigi allowed himself a peek from the corner of his eye as he turned on the spot, and his eyes bulged in his head. Coming through the alley, cloaked in shadows- _movement! Undeniably movement!_ Their pursuers had reached them!

With one final sprint, Luigi crossed over to where Mario waited and, without a word, manhandled him through the gap. He ducked through deftly after him, pulling his twin brother to one side. They didn't dare breathe.

Their ears strained to hear anything for a moment; any signs that they were still being followed. Thud, thud... The steps grew increasingly light, distant. Heading towards the tall tree, no doubt, to discover what had broke against the tree.

Satisfied they were safe, the Mario Bros. smiled at each other as they exchanged a high five. Breaths poured out of them, held back no longer. The green plumber briefly rubbed his legs, gaining his breath as he did.

"Seriously, bro..." he huffed, "you'd very quick-thinking just then... I'd never of considered... to distract them with our hammers!"

_'You're too modest',_ Mario thought, sardonically.

"Y'know, I actually saw the things that were chasing us... Well, I sorta did. It was dark, and I wasn't staying around... to get a good impression... But they were round, I think. Like angry spheres! Not all round... I saw a flash of teeth, a big white eye... Reminded me of something, not sure what..."

Mario nodded and hummed as appropriate, reassuring Luigi that he was listening while he wandered in the dark. The inn didn't seem remarkably different compared to the sort they were used to, which they took for granted since the Kingdom always had its way of making those in it feel comfortable. What else did they need, when they had peace, food and a roof to sleep under?

..._company_. What they, and this empty edifice, really, _really_ missed. Mario pottered into the next room- the main room, he surmised. Walking over to what was likely the reception desk, he brushed his gloves against everything within reach, inquisitive. There was no dust. He fell back onto the tall chair behind the desk, and was surprised that it wasn't as cold as he had expected.

There may not have been anyone else within sight, but someone else was definitely here once, and quite recently too. But the inn was large, and weary as it looked, it was far healthier in strength than some of the homes they had seen. So why would anybody have left?

"Gee, this is creepy..." muttered Luigi, almost to himself. "No sign of life, no sign of death, either! The only other thing alive is this Philadelphus plant!"

Mario turned his eyes to the plant halfheartedly. Botany was another subject he couldn't so much as flick a moustache at, but when he noticed it properly, he became suspicious. Sure, it was a flower in an inn- hardly the unique selling point of the year- but its placement was... _odd._ It stood prettily in a level mound of soil, held in a round green pot that rested to the right of Mario's seat. The issue was, the plant was far too short to be seen over the desk, unless someone leaned over it like Luigi had. If it was meant to be decorative, it could only be failing, and if it was only for the benefit of the receptionist, then wouldn't someone have begged that the pleasure could be extended to the guests?

...unless it _wasn't_ there to be a pleasure. Unless it had some other meaning. The Mario Bros. analysed the plant. _Unless..._ Mario crept slowly towards the Philadelphus, the way in which one may approach a sleeping Piranha Plant. He hesitated, as if uncertain, and wrapped his hand around the plant. It felt rigid and cold. He pulled.

Instead of it being ripped out of the soil, the Philadelphus plant came out with it, as if the two were bonded. Because the two _were_ bonded. The 'plant' and 'soil' were both carved out of wood and painted as needed, to cover up what was really kept underneath.

"A warp pipe!" Luigi peered wonderingly into the newly revealed hole. "Very tricky people, whoever did this!" His confidence wavered as he jumped over to it. He started to fidget. "Umm... Say, bro, let's just put the plant back on and pretend we didn't see anything, eh? Keep their secret, secret, eh?... You're gonna go down anyway, aren't ya."

Mario nodded.

"..._oh,_ alright. I'll go down with ya, as you insist. Shall I go first?" '_Please say no...'_

Mario nodded.

_'Drat...'_ "Okay, then, let's-a go, I guess..." Luigi stretched awkwardly in the enclosed space; slowly and painfully, like a yoga novice. He straightened his dungarees, adjusted his cap, took out a comb to curl his moustache. He excused himself to go use the toilet, and when he came back, looked down at his clothing that was untidy once more. He straightened his dungarees, adjusted his cap, took out a comb-

Mario nodded. Twice.

Luigi paused, his face the epitome of anxiety. "Err, just... let me finish this first, if that's alright?"

Mario grabbed for the little brown comb, and before Luigi knew it, he had tossed it down the pipe.

"..."

Luigi didn't even entertain the thought of trying to procrastinate even further, lest he ends up the one thrown down. He gulped, and leapt down timidly. Mario followed with a sigh. Just _what_ had they got themselves into?

They couldn't see a thing as they progressed down the pipe, as per usual, but somehow the journey seemed darker than they were used to. But warm. Definitely warm. With all the pipes the Mario Bros. had traversed, being able to read the history of each one had become an ability of theirs. Shiny pipes were new or in regular use. Dirty pipes that were still in good shape were probably accessed mainly by rogues, and those that weren't so resilient weren't accessed at all. They could even predict the pipe's age from the intensity of its imperfections.

If a pipe was this warm, people had plunged down here recently, and many people at that.

That is, presuming it was _people_ they were dealing with.

When they reached the end almost a minute later, they had to step out slowly for their eyes to adjust to the candlelight. Concrete walls surrounded them, only about four metres apart from each other. The ceiling was elevated only eight feet above the ground, but a small sag in the centre gave the impression it was trying for lower. Overall, not a nice room for someone with claustrophobia.

There was also a strong wooden door in front of the plumbers, which, like the majority of those they had passed by in this time, was heavily bolted and had a small peephole opposite the doorknob. Mario tiptoed over to it, even though he could guess what to expect. He tried the door, and, thankfully, didn't have a heart attack and die when it refused to open.

Luigi placed a nervous hand onto his shoulder, hoping for an answer. "What do we do now, bro?"

Mario didn't respond directly. Instead, he bent down and laid his hat on the concrete floor. It was very alienating to be in this place, in this time, and even Mario had to concede that his mind wasn't exactly teeming with ideas about how to get back to their proper home. For now, though, they needed to sleep, and in this eerie little room would be good enough.

The green plumber copied his example, setting his own head on his own cap. They lied down on their 'beds', insecurity their bedsheets. Uncomfortable, maybe, but comfort seemed like _years_ away.

* * *

_"...hey, I said wake up! Come on... suicidal or something... Catch a cold..."_

_...what..?_ He'd only just gotten to sleep, now some guy's trying to wake him up... Mario was too groggy to shoo him away, why can't people just let him sleep? Plumbers do more than they realise...

"Get up, you rotund wreck! I only carried your sorry butt this far, I ain't getting ya any further."

Mario wasn't just tired, he was tired of this jerk too._ 'Rotund wreck',_ indeed!

...the last vestiges of sleep were ebbing away from him, the first details of reality were swamping him as he was shaken by the yellow-skinned jerk standing over him... _Yellow-skinned?_ That should mean something, if only he could remember...

The 'jerk' was speaking again... "Still won't give up, eh, dumbo? That's such a shame..."

His hands were reaching for something. Something in his pocket... It looked like...

"...most people wouldn't choose death." The 'jerk' tightened his grip on his hammer, the way only a Hammer Bro. could.

Mario woke fully in an instant. As if all his energy had been reserved for this moment, he pushed himself up in the blink of an eye. His body flipped- a perfect 360°- and his brown shoes struck directly against the Hammer Brother's gaping beak.

Luigi. _Where was Luigi?_ Another Hammer Brother was dealing with him on the other side of the hallway, shaking his younger brother. _His younger brother. Not for long._ The Koopa was raising its head, only mildly comprehending the hell it was in for. It still looked fairly clueless as Mario slammed into his shell and kicked his prone body into the ceiling. Luigi was beginning to stir, but Mario's fury had yet to cease. He sprang up into the air, reaching the Koopa's body as it crunched against the ceiling. He bunched his fists together, aiming his final move-

"STOP!"

Mario's anger did not subside, yet there was no way he could ignore the authoritative command that pervaded the wooden hallway. With great reluctance, he released his tension and landed quietly alongside the injured Hammer Brother.

Emerging from the hallway's end, an old Toad stepped through, walking stick in hand. His gold-spotted mushroom cap glistened in the mild gloom, in spite of his age. Even his dark black eyes had a certain sheen to them, but there seemed to be plain darkness mixed in with it too. Luigi moved to speak, but the Toad raised his hand placatingly. The Mario Bros. watched silently as the old Toad moved soundlessly over to the two Hammer Brothers. One at a time, he helped the Koopas up onto their feet and rubbed over their pains as he whispered with them. Nobody else could catch the words that were exchanged, but only an idiot couldn't tell that the three were on good terms. The Koopas glinted at Mario as they withdrew, and now only the moustached brothers and the old Toad remained. He cleared his throat.

"I am Toadinbello, the mayor of Toad Town. I am sorry that your entry into here wasn't such a hospitable event, but hospitality is a rare commodity these days. Now, would you care to explain who you two are, and why you're here?"

Luigi raged. "Those Hammer Bros. dragged us here, that's why! We were perfectly happy just lying next to the pipe back there, finally away from whatever is creeping around up there, and those guys just came along and-"

"And brought you to shelter."

_"...huh?"_

"This place they brought you into, it's a war shelter. You two were just lying outside it, and the Hammer Bros. noticed you through the peephole. Greatly concerned they were... Didn't you know the password, you muggins?"

Their faces were blank.

"'_Segale_'! My word, how can you forget the password for your life?" Toadinbello stared more closely at the disheveled strangers. "Come to think of it, why aren't you part of the war effort? You certainly don't look like strangers to it, as those poor Hammer Bros. can testify."

Mario and Luigi shared a glance. Luigi sighed. "It's a _long_ story... I can at least say that I'm-a Luigi, this is my big bro, Mario, and we're _really_ not up-to-date. Is this war you're talking about... Is it against those creatures out there?" Toadinbello nodded; nobody needed to ask what he was referring to. "_What_ are they?"

"Well, we haven't got much knowledge to work from, truth be told. Rather unusual beings, they are, not even naming their species themselves. Right now, we call them '_Gnashers_', after King Gnash, the leader of this war."

The conversation died an awkward death at this point. The trio shuffled their feet, unsure what to say next. In the end, it was Luigi who piped up. "Could you tell us any more, please? It's not easy, getting about in a new old world."

"'_New old_'..? Err, why of course. Please, follow me, and I shall make you wise. And _keep your voices down!_ People are trying to sleep around here!

"This hideout is the only spot in Toad Town where anyone can live out the nights. You said you'd a run in with those fiends tonight- that's the time when they come to torment us. Whatever defences we may put around the outskirts- and trust me, we've tried them all- they break through into our lives every night. They stalk around a bit, ensure they haven't gone without damaging and taking some property, then go back to their own kingdom. Dreadfully annoying and unfair, I'm sure you appreciate, but we had to bear grin and bear it. Let them know they couldn't smash our spirits.

"That all changed, however. Eventually, their true malice shone out in the darkness. It was no longer just the property that disappeared. Citizens, whole families would vanish with the retreat of the moon. Little Toads and Koopas would chase shadows around in the streets the morning after, and you know what they said? What they _always_ said? _'Where's my mum? Where's my dad? Why have they gone?'_ ...we _hated_ it. We knew just as much as they did. _Feared_ just as much as they did.

_'What do we do?'_ We hid from the questions of the children by immersing ourselves into this one. It was clear we needed to stop treating our enemies as bandits, but as the corrupt gods they truly are. So we banged together the minds of all the leaders we had, think of a solution that could keep us safe. It took a few weeks and a few souls, may they rest in peace, but we got things arranged. Everyone learnt the drill- once the sun leaves us to death's mercy, up until we gain its temporary grace once again, we conceal ourselves down here. We learnt, you see, that the inn had such a large basement that it could actually, safely, hold all of Toad Town in its depths. The innkeeper was so very kind to allow us this refuge, but _naturally_ he could hardly deny a whole community its survival.

"And this, is_ us._ Cooped down in a murky basement, where we sleep and have nightmares of the terrors above. There's little problem with resources- just enough midnight snacks to keep some of us full! This is part of an inn, so it goes without saying it can store the essentials.

"Yet... we only have so very few, what with everyone's- understandable- reluctance to leave Toad Town, and the burning up of what little we do have. Some of the parents in here, they're starving themselves so their children can know what it is like to not be hungry. But it's still not enough. Our geniuses have managed to manipulate the conditions down here so that we could actually grow some crops, but they won't be harvested anywhere near when we need them."

"Wait," interrupted Luigi as he shot to the mayor's side. "My bro's still got an Ice Flower on him"- Luigi spotted the look of incomprehension on the mayor's face- " which, I guess, _hasn't_ been discovered yet. It means he can throw ice balls, so if Mario could freeze enough people down here so that you could get through the war, then maybe-"

"We'd skip the worst of it? I'm afraid I must dispel your wishful thinking. Not all of the 'Gnashers' stalking the streets at night are the same size as the ones you glimpsed. It would not be insanity to believe that out there, somewhere, there is even just one Gnasher roaming our world, that one day will uncover our hideout and corner us in our graves. And regardless, may I beg of you not to underestimate those fiends. Never do that. They'll find a way. It could be tonight. Tomorrow night. We won't know until they do, but someday, _they will get us._

"Oh, and one more thing- that's not how cryonic suspension works. I think you've been reading too many dodgy science-fiction novels, young man."

Luigi sulked to himself. _He loved his science-fiction..._

Mario, realising that Luigi would be too busy daydreaming about colourful sabers and funny droids for a good few minutes, decided to put his own question to the old Toad: _why hadn't those frog-suited Toads let them know about this place?_

"Hmm, I imagine those 'Super Swimmer Buddies' couldn't have given you the password even if they wanted to. Brave old souls, they've been out so long I'd doubt they even knew about this hideout! I am quite glad, nevertheless, to hear of their wellbeing. The group is what you would call the Castle's secret defenders... secret to the enemy, of course! Not to us; everyone's heard of the Super Swimmer Buddies. The Princess organised the group soon after the Gnashers began their invasions. Had you noticed the slope that is the Castle's stone walkway? There's a reason!

"As those 'Gnashers' are practically spherical, if they were to roll off the walkway on their way to invade the Castle, they would not to be able to climb back out of the moat. This is where the Super Swimmer Buddies come most handy! As crude as it sounds, the bodies of those drowned fiends are then dragged up and passed along to our army to be used as resources. Nothing is wasted! Throw them down a hill like a boulder, slap together a barricade using them and a bit of glue; whatever's most convenient! Our swimming allies even dare to propel themselves to where some of the Gnashers have been known to congregate, just for the chance they may discover something of vital importance. Astounding folk, they truly are."

The taller plumber had exterminated his last sci-fi thought, and jumped back into the conversation. "Wow, you guys are all coping like pros. I don't think I'd want to face up to these creepy Gnasher guys, Frog Suit or not. Like all your worries..."

He cut himself off as he saw the look of quiet sorrow that passed the Toad's face. "Um, are you... okay? Is there something else?"

"..._yes_. Yes, there is more. Last week, we went through signing our register as we always do. Establish who's still with us, you see. We delegated a young Koopa called Bramley to the job, since he could always spot an apple from a day. Observant little fellow... But last week, he came into my office and thrust the register in front of me. I skimmed through it with him, and at first, I was quite pleased we'd the same number coming in as yesterday. That was a first. But there was another first with the register of people coming out. It didn't match those coming in.

"Betha, Jode, Carter, Viola. Two Koopas, two Toads. _All vanished._ At first, I reprimanded Bramley for such a dangerous mistake. Four people don't just dissipate into thin air. But... of course he was right. He's always right. Lo and behold, none of them could be found doing their business the next day. When night fell again, they never arrived. And more have disappeared since then. It's the worst news that could spread, and spread it did. The last thing people need is to think their safehold isn't safe."

Toadinbello rested his head in his palms, allowing his stiff composure to crumble in their presence. They were kind, letting him unleash his fears to the two men he had met less than an hour ago. Neither wanted to upset the Toad any further, so they waited patiently for him to regain his peace. Once he lifted his teary eyes back up to them and wiped them dry, however, it became clear he had not yet concluded.

"There is… _one more thing._ Three days ago, Bramley staggered into my office with eyes open wide. I thought he was going to faint, how pale his skin was! I looked at the register as he dropped it on my desk, and… our problem was flipped on its head. Everyone that we had expected to flee into our hideout didn't fail us, all going in were accounted for. It was the people going out that was odd. You know who were with them? Betha, Jode, Carter, and Viola.

"Do you understand it? The souls we had feared had fallen into the Minus World… _just jumped back in,_ as if 'continues' just grew on trees!"

"..._and_..?"

"..._and, they were not alone._ Within these walls, there have been sightings of… _ghosts_."

A knowing glance passed between the Mario Brothers. _Could it be..?_

"Citizens would report seeing unfamiliar people working around down here. One brave Koopa tried to talk to one of them that was lifting some barrels around, but the ghosts don't respond. They only flit through reality, like they're in a world of their own!"

_"A time of their own…"_ Luigi muttered.

* * *

Mario and Luigi were just nearing the end of their tale so far, when Toadinbello drew their walk to a close. Behind where he stood, they could see another ordinary door. No, wait... It looked as if bolted, unlike most of the doors in this hideout, and on the top, someone had scratched words into the wood-_ 'DO NOT OPEN.'_

"Hmm. You two, you claim you come from another time?" queried Toadinbello. "Perhaps you could talk to another… _visitor_… to our time? He arrived a few days ago, yet we've gotten naught out of him. The only thing he ever natters on about is that _'time is wrong'._ Unfortunately, his random outbursts prevents him from being allowed out to mingle with the rest of the people..."

Toadinbello stared pointedly at the two.

"I have faith in you both, however. As pathetic as it sounds, Mario and Luigi, I believe your nature is pure, even if it is clouded by brashness. I believe you can do something for the poor fellow in here. _Will you try?"_

The old Toad unlocked the door and pulled it out, revealing the darkness within. They could hear chains clinking, and underneath it, hushed murmurs. Mario leaned forward, bringing his head through the doorway.

"_Please_..."

The chains clinked again. Someone stepped towards the light- it was... a Toad. But his clothes looked more like the kind that Mario and Luigi were familiar with, those from their time. Haunted eyes peered into Mario's soul.

"Please... you've got to help me... My name's Mucho, and... _God is angry!_"

* * *

**Hello! So, I just wanted to mention something quickly that I talked about in the last chapter I've done of 'Your Toad-Faced Fan'. Real life's a big distraction at the moment, so don't expect chapters to be leaping out like Cheep Cheeps or anything. Still, I'll try to get something down when I can!**


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